Hats off and farewell to soft-top Golf

After 24 years in production, the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet is being quietly killed off.

Hats off and farewell to soft-top Golf

The maker's Australian arm has stopped importing the model – production has stopped already – but there are still some examples in dealerships.

The Cabriolet will be replaced by a convertible version of the New Beetle (pictured), which is built on the Golf's mechanical platform.

The Golf soft-top has been in production since 1978. The original had a distinctive, "baby's pram" folding roof that protruded well beyond the rear bodywork when folded back.

The demise of the Cabriolet follows a slump in sales across Europe. The latest model, launched in 1998, looks similar to the current hatchback model but under the skin it is still the Mk III model from 1992.

VW says a new Golf convertible will be built eventually. It will be based on the next-generation car, due in late 2003.

It is believed VW had intended to unveil the Beetle convertible last January at the Detroit motor show but postponed the launch at the last minute. It is now likely to be revealed within the next few weeks and go on sale in Australia next year. As with the Golf, it will have a glass rear window; every panel from the windscreen back has been altered.